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Structural Social Work

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Oppression

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Anti-Oppressive Practice

All social relations generate oppression. Everyday experience is shaped by many

different forms of oppression Social work is a “contested and highly

political practice” (p.5) Anti-oppressive practice seeks to help

individuals AND transform society. Baines 2011

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Anti-Oppressive Practice (cont)

Participatory approaches are necessary.

Self-reflexive practice, ongoing analysis.

Blending elements from many practice models will lead to best social justice outcomes.

Baines, 2011

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Other Roots

• Radical Social Work: ◦ Socialist

“Traditional SW is seen as a form of social control that maintains social problems” (p.298)

Feminist Practice ◦ Personal as political

Heinonen & Spearman, 2010

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Maurice Moreau

“Concerned with the ways in which the rich and powerful in society define and constrain the poor and less powerful”

Bowen, 2012

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Structural Social Work, at a Glance

Focuses on the impact of wider social structures on personal problems.

Meets human needs through structural rather than individual change.

Thoroughly examines the environment itself

Recognizes that societies are made up of conflicting interests

Hick, 2010 Heinonen & Spearman, 2010

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A Closer Look at Structures Historical, and current economic and political

climate Primary Structures: ◦ Patriarchy ◦ Racism ◦ Capitalism ◦ Heterosexism ◦ Ageism ◦ Ableism

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A Closer Look at Structures (cont) Secondary Structures: ◦ Personality ◦ Family ◦ Community ◦ Bureaucracy

Primary structures of oppression have a greater impact on secondary structures

Carniol, 1992

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Capitalism Heterosexism

Ageism Patriarchy

Racism

Ableism

Personality

Family Community

Bureaucracy

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Conflict Perspective

Society is characterized by conflict between groups of people. ◦ Differences in power, influence, and

access to the good things in life. Heinonen & Spearman, 2010

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As Moreau Would Say...

“Social problems are not caused by deficits in communication between individuals and systems as both ecology and systems theory posit. Differential access to power and conflict between systems are the problem and not a lack of mutual fit, reciprocity, interdependence and balance between individuals.”

Carniol, 1992, p.3

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Social Worker Roles and Processes

The Enabler ◦ Information sharing ◦ Collectivism

The Educator ◦ Consciousness raising

The Advocate ◦ Disbursement of resources – within the

agency, between agencies, complete absence of promised resources ◦ Social Activism

Heinonen & Spearman, 2010 Wood & Middleman, 1992

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What is the Process? “Residents of a high rise for the elderly have

been promised a night security guard but are not given one.”

Wood & Middleman, 1992, p.54

Consciousness raising Information sharing Collectivism Disbursement of resources

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What is the Process? “A client who is seeking to regain custody of

her son now that she has a job is empowered by the social worker who tells her, in advance, the assessment criteria that are used to make such determinations.”

Wood & Middleman, 1992, p.54

Consciousness raising Information sharing Collectivism Disbursement of resources

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What is the Process?

“A social worker informs a battered woman living in a shelter that she is not to blame for the abuse inflicted upon her by her abusive spouse.”

Wood & Middleman, 1992, p.55

Consciousness raising Information sharing Collectivism Disbursement of resources

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Structural vs Conventional Social Work

Component Structural Conventional

Defense of Client

Meet immediate needs, advocacy for rights and greater resources.

Client advocacy is minimized (neutral and objective), dispenses resources from structures that are in place.

Client-Worker Power

Egalitarian approach, documents and processes are made transparent to client.

Power differences exist between social worker and client.

Unmasking Structures

Bridges client’s immediate problems with primary structures.

Intrapsychic approach. Client must adapt to structural oppressions.

Carniol, 1992

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Structural vs Conventional Social Work

Component Structural Conventional Personal Change

Client assumes responsibility for actions and feelings, solutions shared between client and structure.

Personal adjustments made within the dominant framework.

Collective Consciousness

Bridges client’s needs with others in similar situations, joins groups and movements.

Client’s individuality is acknowledged, problems and solutions are attributed to the client (isolating).

Political Change

Activism by clients and social workers, use of social justice organizations and social movements, strive to develop alternative services, non-violent.

Follows dominant structure, deems activism as unprofessional.

Carniol, 1992

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Client – Conferee Relationship

View of client ◦ Capable ◦ Confronted with insufficient resources,

limited opportunity, and decreased means to access supports to change their situation.

Wood, 1974

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Client – Conferee Relationship Client and conferee make collaborative

decisions ◦ “Conferee” used to reflect that client is

teaching them about their life Client has the right to view their file at any

time. Counsellor explains therapeutic methods. Client encouraged to challenge the

counsellor’s understanding of their life Carniol, 1992

Middleman & Wood, 1994

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Client – Conferee Relationship

Reduction of power imbalance ◦ Talk about use of names ◦ Locations that would be best for client to

meet ◦ Access to therapist ◦ Conversation outside of the therapy

process ◦ Avoidance of use of technical terms

Carniol, 1992

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Accountability

Service contract ◦ Understanding of what the task is ◦ Agreement of worker role ◦ Task is to alleviate problem in client’s life

Wood, 1974

ACTIVITY 1. Conduct a “Structural Analysis” of the case study

– what are all of the factors & structures we need to consider in this case?

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2. How would a Structural Social Worker intervene….

- With the individual (micro)? - At a community level (meso)? - At a societal level (macro)?

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Goals Connect client feelings, cognitions, and

behaviours to the problem situation and to the impact of oppression

Development of social empathy Individualistic interventions vs. collectivistic

interventions Personal change

Carniol, 1992

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Empowerment

Increased resources Freedom in therapeutic relationship Awareness of oppression Awareness of oppression of others Involvement in Activism Power to change own behaviour

Carniol, 1992

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Criticism of Structural Social Work

Political vs. personal change Views on power ◦ Static vs. dynamic ◦ Power is negative

Societal structures are binary ◦ Questions morality ◦ Subjectivity in practice

Difficulties with bottom-up action Carniol, 1992 Weinberg, 2008

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Why Engage in Structural Social Work? Guideline for ethics in practice Avoids overly pathologizing clients Appropriate within current neo-liberal

climate, cutbacks to welfare state Positive outcomes for service users

Bowen, 2012

George et. al, 2012

Weinberg, 2008

WHY ELSE?

What do we think? How did you feel about structural social

work at the start of the presentation compared to how you feel about it now? Can you see yourself using it in your practice?

Could we apply it within our agencies? How much does the agency dictate opinions?

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What do we think? What is success in a structural model

of social work? Big change or sustainability?

How ambitious are you as a social worker? How conservative or radical?

How could this approach apply in an International context?

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References Baines, D. (2011). An overview of anti-oppressive practice. In: Doing

anti-oppressive practice: Social Justice Social Work. 2nd ed. Retrieved 11 Nov, 2012 at http://www.scribd.com/doc/54133728/Doing-Anti-Oppressive-Practice-Social-Justice-Social-Work

Bowen, E. (2012). Addressing the Inequality Epidemic: Applying a Structural Approach to Social Work Practice with People Affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. Critical Social Work, 13(1). Retrieved 3 Nov 2012 at http://www.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/addressing-the-inequality-epidemic-applying-a-structural-approach-to-social-work-practice-with-peopl

Carniol, B. (1992). Structural social work: Maurice Moreau’s challenge to social work practice. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 3 (1), 1 – 19

George et al (2007). Beyond “Providing Services”: Voices of Service Users on Structural Social Work Practice in Community-based Social Service Agencies. Canadian Social Work Review, 24(1), 5-22.

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References (cont) Heinonen, T., & Spearman, L. (2010). Social work practice. Problem

solving and beyond. 2nd ed. Toronto: Nelson Education. Hick, S.F. (2010). Social work in Canada: An introduction. Toronto:

Thompson Educational Publishing. Middleman, R. R., & Wood, G.G. (1994). So much for the bell curve:

Constructionism, power/conflict, and the structural approach to direct practice in social work. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 8 (1-2), 129 – 146

Weinberg, M. (2008). Structural social work: A moral compass for ethics in practice. Critical Social Work, 9 (1). Retrieved from http://www.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/structural-social-work-a-moral-compass-for-ethics-in-practice

Wood, G. G. (1974). Structural approach to practice: A new model. Social Work, 19 (2), 150-155

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References (cont) Wood, G.G., & Middleman, R.R. (1992). Advocacy and social action:

Key elements in the structural approach to direct practice in social work. Social Work with Groups, 14 (3-4), 53-63. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J009v14n03_05

Wood, G. G., & Tully, C. T. (2006). The structural approach to direct practice in social work: A social constructionist perspective. New York: Columbia University Press